Pam 

Biog 


George  Leslie  Mackay 

Pioneer  Missionary  in  Northern  Formosa 


SOURCE  BOOK 

“The  Black  Bearded  Barbarian" 

By  Marian  Keith 


Baptist  Board  of  Education 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

276  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


OUTLINE 

Page 


Introductory  Statement .  2 

Program  for  Meeting  .  3 

Life  Sketch  .  4 

Life  Incidents  . 7 


Program  based  upon  The  Black  Bearded  Barbarian 

by  Marian  Keith 

Missionary  Education  Movement,  $1.00 


FOREWORD 


THE  Missionary  Heroes  Course  for  Boys  meets  a  real  need. 

It  is  a  series  of  missionary  programs  for  boys  based  on  great 
biographies  which  every  boy  should  know.  Courses  Number 
One  and  Number  Two  are  now  available,  each  providing  pro¬ 
grams  for  twelve  months,  which  may  be  used  in  the  monthly 
meetings  of  boys'  groups.  Other  courses  are  in  preparation  and 
will  be  issued  for  subsequent  years. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  leader  purchase  two  copies  of  each 
booklet ;  one  to  be  kept  for  reference  and  the  other  to  be  cut  up 
to  provide  each  boy  with  his  assigned  part.  Some  may  prefer 
to  purchase  one  booklet  and  typewrite  the  parts  for  assignment. 
In  order  to  tie  together  the  life  incidents  as  they  are  presented 
by  the  boys,  the  leader  should  master  the  facts  outlined  in  the 
biographical  sketch  and  read  carefully  the  volume  upon  which 
the  program  is  based.  These  volumes  are  missionary  classics 
and  may  be  made  the  basis  of  a  worthwhile  library  of  Christian 
adventure. 

Boys  are  keenly  interested  in  stories  of  adventure  and  achieve¬ 
ment  and  it  is  hoped  that  participation  in  the  programs  will  lead 
many  of  the  lads  to  read  these  great  missionary  biographies.  At¬ 
tention  is  called  to  the  twenty-three  other  life-story  programs  now 
available  for  Courses  Number  One  and  Number  Two,  both  of 
,  which  are  listed  on  the  last  page.  The  books  upon  which  these 
programs  are  based  can  be  ordered  from  the  nearest  literature 
headquarters.  Portraits  of  these  missionary  heroes  are  also  avail¬ 
able  for  purchase  at  fifteen  cents  a  copy. 

While  these  programs  have  been  developed  to  meet  the  needs 
of  boys'  organizations  of  all  types — i.e.,  Organized  Classes,  Boy 
Scouts,  Knights  of  King  Arthur,  Kappa  Sigma  Pi,  etc., — they 
were  especially  prepared  for  the  chapters  of  the  Royal  Ambas¬ 
sadors,  a  missionary  organization  for  teen  age  boys  originating 
in  the  Southland  and  recently  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  North¬ 
ern  Baptist  Convention  by  the  Department  of  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation.  We  commend  these  materials  to  all  lovers  of  boys. 

William  A.  Hill. 


PROGRAM  FOR  MEETING 


1.  Scripture  Reading :  Matthew  11 :25-30,  especially  verse  28, 

Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and 
I  will  give  you  rest,”  which  was  the  heart  of  the  winsome 
message  that  Mackay  presented  through  medical  ministry 
and  preaching  in  northern  Formosa.  (See  pages  113-114  of 
“The  Black  Bearded  Barbarian,”  by  Marian  Keith.) 

2.  Prayer. 

3.  Hymn:  “From  Greenland’s  Icy  Mountains”  with  especial 
reference  to  the  line:  “Where  every  prospect  pleases,  and 
only  man  is  vile.”  Note  the  author’s  description  of  lovely 
orchids,  gorgeous  butterflies,  birds  of  brilliant  plumage  and 
wonderful  flowers,  found  on  page  182  of  the  above  book. 

4.  Introduction  to  the  Life  Story*  (based  upon  pages  1-24  of 
the  above  book  and  the  brief  sketch  to  be  found  in  this 
booklet.) 

5.  Choosing  His  Field  of  Work  (pages  24-27). 

6.  Winning  His  First  Convert  (pages  73,  76-80). 

7.  Witnessing  for  Jesus  Christ  (pages  94-98). 

8.  Baptism  of  His  First  Converts  (pages  116-117). 

9.  Encounters  with  Snakes  (pages  88,  127-128,  204-205). 

10.  Building  the  First  Chapel  (pages  149-151,  151-152). 

11.  Gaining  a  Foothold  in  Bang-kah  (pages  169-171,  172-174). 

12.  Enduring  Persecution  (pages  233-235). 

13.  An  Entire  Village  Accepts  Christ  (pages  268-272). 

14.  Called  from  His  Labors  (pages  293-296). 

15.  A  Developing  Work  (pages  297-298,  299-300). 


*  The  leader  should  read  both  the  brief  sketch  in  this  booklet  and  also  “The  Black 
Bearded  Barbarian”  by  Marian  Keith.  A  more  complete  biographical  treatment  will 
be  found  in  “From  Far  Formosa,”  by  J.  A.  MacDonald. 


SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF 
GEORGE  LESLIE  MACKAY 


GEORGE  LESLIE  MACKAY  was  born  at  Zorra,  Oxford 
County,  Canada,  on  March  21,  1844.  His  parents  had 
emigrated  from  Scotland  to  the  wilds  of  Upper  Canada  and 
shared  with  their  six  children  the  rigors  of  pioneer  life.  His 
early  schooling  was  interwoven  with  a  vigorous  outdoor  life  and 
produced  the  union  of  a  keen  mind  and  a  strong  body. 

After  making  a  confession  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  pur¬ 
pose  to  become  a  missionary  fully  possessed  his  mind.  He  pre¬ 
pared  for  college  at  Toronto  and  entered  Princeton  in  September, 
1867,  shortly  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War.  Upon  graduating 
from  Princeton  University  in  1870,  he  went  to  Edinburgh  to 
study  under  Alexander  Duff,  India’s  great  missionary  educator. 

In  June  of  the  following  year,  Mackav  returned  to  Canada 
to  attend  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
His  appointment  to  China  as  their  first  foreign  missionary  was 
then  formally  ratified.  His  ordination  followed  in  October  and 
on  November  1,  1871,  he  sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  Hong 
Kong.  After  inspecting  the  missionary  work  being  done  at 
Hong  Kong,  Canton  and  Swatow,  he  decided  to  visit  Formosa, 
an  island  off  the  coast  of  China,  with  a  view  to  settlement.  He 
was  cordially  received  by  the  English  Presbyterians  who  were 
engaged  in  a  successful  work  in  southern  Formosa.  Lender  their 
guidance  he  made  a  tour  of  the  untouched  northern  end  of  the 
island.  Its  rugged  mountains  called  to  his  Highland  blood  and 
is  hostile,  benighted  people  challenged  his  missionary  purpose. 
He  quietly  remarked:  “I  have  decided  to  settle  in  North 
Formosa.  ’  ’ 

By  April  10,  1872,  he  was  fully  established  in  His  humble 
quarters  in  Tamsui.  In  his  diary  is  the  following  entry :  ‘  ‘  Here 
I  am  in  this  house,  having  been  led  all  the  way  from  the  old 
homestead  in  Zorra  by  Jesus,  as  direct  as  though  my  boxes  were 
labeled  1  Tamsui,  Formosa,  China.’  Oh,  the  glorious  privilege  of 
laying  the  foundation  of  Christ’s  Church  in  unbroken  heath¬ 
enism.  ’  ’ 

His  first  task  was  that  of  mastering  the  language.  He  at¬ 
tempted  to  gain  a  command  of  the  Chinese  language  with  the  help 


4 


of  his  servant  but  his  helper  proved  unequal  to  this  task  and 
left  him.  He  next  enlisted  the  help  of  the  boys  herding*  the  water- 
buffaloes  near  his  house.  Finally  he  preached  his  first  brief 
sermon  in  the  native  tongue  on  the  text:  “What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved  ?  ’ ’  Shortly  after  this  he  won  A  Hoa,  his  first  convert, 
to  the  Christian  faith.  A  Hoa  was  an  educated  young  man  and 
from  the  very  first  proved  invaluable  in  the  work.  A  Hoa  studied 
English  and  western  knowledge  under  Mackay ’s  direction  and  in 
turn  guided  the  missionary  in  his  study  of  the  Formosan  dialect. 

Aided  by  his  medical  and  dental  skill,  he  gradually  overcame 
the  open  hostility  of  those  who  at  first  called  after  him,  “For¬ 
eign  devil”  or  “Black  Bearded  Barbarian.”  On  the  second 
Sunday  in  February,  1873,  within  a  year  of  the  beginning  of  his 
work  in  Tamsui,  he  baptized  his  first  group  of  converts,  A  Hoa 
and  four  other  men. 

A  Hoa  formed  the  nucleus  of  a  group  in  training  for  the 
native  ministry,  the  pivotal  feature  in  his  plan  for  evangelizing 
northern  Formosa.  As  promising  converts  were  won,  they  were 
enlisted  in  the  group  for  special  training.  Whenever  he  would 
go  on  a  preaching  tour,  they  accompanied  him,  and  after  chapels 
were  erected  and  the  work  established,  they  secured  invaluable 
training  in  first-hand  contact  with  the  missionary  work.  One 
by  one,  as  the  chapels  were  erected,  they  were  assigned  to  their 
posts.  A  Hoa  was  placed  in  charge  at  Go-ko-khi  and  others  in 
turn,  as  new  stations  were  opened.  The  training  work  eventually 
required  a  commodious  building  and  in  1880,  during  his  first 
furlough,  his  friends  in  his  home  county  in  Upper  Canada,  con¬ 
tributed  the  funds  to  build  “Oxford  College,”  on  the  height 
overlooking  Tamsui.  A  little  later  the  women  of  the  Canadian 
Presbyterian  Church  gave  the  funds  for  a  Girls’  School  to  stand 
beside  Oxford  College.  A  Mrs.  Mackay  of  Detroit,  Michigan, 
erected  “Mackay  Hospital”  in  memory  of  her  husband. 

The  work  speedily  developed  until,  in  1884,  there  were  forty 
chapels  connected  with  the  mission,  when  suddenly  the  bom¬ 
bardment  of  Formosan  ports  by  France  precipitated  a  cyclone 
of  bitter  persecution,  attended  with  the  widespread  destruction 
of  mission  property.  Many  of  the  converts  became  martyrs  to 
their  faith  rather  than  choosing  to  recant.  Twenty-four  of  the 
chapels  were  destroyed  by  the  hostile  natives.  Indemnity,  how¬ 
ever,  was  secured  from  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Chinese 
forces  and  the  work  of  rebuilding  progressed  so  rapidly  as  to 
dumbfound  the  opposition. 

The  growing  work  now  reached  forth  to  touch  the  islands 
skirting  the  shores  of  Formosa  and  beyond  the  mountains  to  the 
Kap-tsu-lau  and  Ki-lai  plains,  inhabited  by  both  the  Chinese  and 

5 


the  original  settlers,  the  Pe-po-hoans.  The  people  of  these  dis¬ 
tant  plains  of  the  east  coast  nobly  responded  to  the  Gospel  mes¬ 
sage  and  twenty  more  chapels  were  erected. 

In  August,  1893,  Mackay  sailed  with  his  wife  and  his  three 
children  for  a  two  years’  visit  to  Canada,  leaving  the  work  in 
charge  of  his  assistant,  Rev.  John  Jamieson.  In  addition  to 
covering  an  extended  speaking  tour  while  on  furlough,  he  col¬ 
laborated  with  Rev.  J.  A.  MacDonald  in  preparing  the  book, 
“From  Far  Formosa.” 

Upon  his  return  to  Formosa  in  the  fall  of  1895,  he  again 
threw  himself  into  his  growing  work  with  renewed  ardor.  Six 
years  followed,  packed  to  the  full  of  teaching,  preaching  and 
touring.  But  he  had  drawn  too  heavily  on  his  physical  resources 
and  on  June  2,  1901,  he  was  called  from  his  labors.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  Church  of  Northern  Formosa  is  his  enduring  monument. 


6 


INCIDENTS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
GEORGE  LESLIE  MACKAY 

Reprinted  from  “The  Black  Bearded  Barbarian” 

by  Marian  Keith 

by  permission  of  the  publishers 
“The  Missionary  Education  Movement” 

Choosing  His  Field  of  Work.  ( Pp .  24-27.) 

Away  off  the  southeastern  coast  of  China  lies  a  large  island 
called  Formosa.  It  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  body  of 
water  called  the  Formosa  Channel.  This  is  in  some  places  eighty 
miles  wide,  in  others  almost  two  hundred.  Mackay  had  often 
heard  of  Formosa  even  before  coming  to  China,  and  knew  it  was 
famed  for  its  beauty.  Even  its  name  shows  this.  Long,  long 
years  before,  some  navigators  from  Portugal  sailed  to  this  beau¬ 
tiful  island.  They  had  stood  on  the  deck  of  their  ship  as  they 
approached  it  and  were  amazed  at  its  loveliness,  They  saw  lofty 
green  mountains  piercing  the  clouds.  They  saw  silvery  cascades 
tumbling  down  their  sides,  flashing  in  the  sunlight,  and,  below, 
terraced  plains  sloping  down  to  the  sea,  covered  with  waving 
bamboo  or  with  little  water-covered  rice-fields.  It  was  all  so 
delightful  that  no  wonder  they  cried : 

‘  ‘  Illha  Formosa  !  Illha  Formosa !  7 7 

‘  ‘  Beautiful  Isle  !  Beautiful  Isle  !  7 7 

Since  that  day  the  “Beautiful  Isle, 77  perhaps  the  most  charm¬ 
ing  in  all  the  world,  has  been  called  Formosa. 

And,  somehow,  Mackay  longed  to  see  this  “Beautiful  Isle77 
before  he  decided  where  he  was  going  to  preach  the  gospel.  And 
so  when  the  kind  friends  at  Swatow  said,  ‘  ‘  Stay  and  work  with 
us, 7  7  he  always  answered,  4  ‘  I  must  first  see  Formosa 7  7 

So,  one  day,  he  sailed  away  from  the  mainland  toward  the 
Beautiful  Isle.  He  landed  at  Takow  in  the  south  of  the  island, 
just  about  Christmas  time.  But  Formosa  was  green,  the  weather 
was  hot,  and  he  could  scarcely  believe  that,  at  home  in  Oxford 
County,  Ontario,  they  were  flying  over  the  snow  to  the  music  of 
sleigh-bells.  On  New  Year’s  Day  he  met  a  missionary  of  this 
south  Formosa  field,  named  Dr.  Ritchie.  He  belonged  to  the  Pres¬ 
byterian  Church  of  England,  which  had  a  fine  mission  there. 
For  nearly  a  month  Mackay  visited  with  him  and  studied  the 
language. 


7 


And  while  he  visited  and  worked  there,  the  missionaries  told 
him  of  the  northern  part  of  the  island.  No  person  was  there  to 
tell  all  those  crowded  cities  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His  love.  It 
would  be  lonely  for  him  there,  it  would  be  terribly  hard  work, 
but  it  would  be  a  grand  thing  to  lay  the  foundations,  to  be  the 
first  to  tell  those  people  the  1  ‘  good  news, 7  7  the  young  missionary 
thought.  And,  one  day,  he  looked  up  from  the  Chinese  book 
he  was  studying  and  said  to  Dr.  Ritchie : 

4 1 1  have  decided  to  settle  in  north  Formosa. 7  7 

And  Dr.  Ritchie  7s  quick  answer  was : 

‘ 1  Cfod  bless  you,  Mackay. 7  7 

Winning  His  First  Convert.  ( Pp .  73,  76-80.) 

And  all  this  time,  while  he  was  studying  and  working  and 
arguing  with  the  heathen  and  preaching  to  them,  the  young 
missionary  was  working  just  as  hard  at  something  else ;  some¬ 
thing  into  which  he  was  putting  as  much  energy  and  force  as  he 
did  into  learning  the  Chinese  language.  With  all  his  might  and 
main,  day  and  night,  he  was  praying — praying  for  one  special 
object.  He  had  been  praying  for  this  long  before  he  saw  Formosa. 
He  was  pleading  with  God  to  give  him,  as  his  first  convert,  a 
young  man  of  education.  And  so  he  was  always  on  the  lookout 
for  such,  as  he  preached  and  taught,  and  never  once  did  he  cease 
praying  that  he  might  find  him. 

His  first  task  was  to  gain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Chinese 
religions.  He  had  already  learned  much  about  them,  both  from 
books  on  shipboard  and  since  he  had  come  to  the  island.  But  now 
he  spent  long  hours  of  the  night,  poring  over  the  books  of  Con¬ 
fucianism,  Buddhism,  and  Taoism,  by  the  light  of  his  smoky 
little  pewter  lamp.  And  before  the  next  visit  of  his  enemies  he 
knew  almost  more  of  their  jumble  of  religions  than  they  did 
themselves. 

Each  day  the  group  of  visitors  grew  larger,  and  .at  last  one 
morning,  as  Mackay  looked  out  of  his  door,  he  saw  quite  a  crowd 
approaching.  They  were  led,  as  usual,  by  the  friendly  young 
scholar.  By  his  side  walked,  or  rather,  swaggered  a  man  of 
whom  the  missionary  had  often  heard.  He  was  a  scholar  of  high 
degree  and  was  famed  all  over  Formosa  for  his  great  learning. 
Behind  him  came  about  twenty  men,  and  Mackay  could  see  by 
their  dress  and  appearance  that  they  were  all  literary  graduates. 
They  were  coming  in  great  force  this  time,  to  crush  the  barbarian 
with  their  combined  knowledge.  He  met  them  at  the  door  with 
his  usual  politeness  and  hospitality.  He  was  always  courteous  to 


8 


these  proud  literati,  but  he  always  treated  them  as  equals,  and 
showed  none  of  the  deference  they  felt  he  owed  them.  The  crowd 
seated  itself  on  improvised  benches  and  the  argument  opened. 

This  time  Mackay  led  the  attack.  He  carried  the  war  right 
into  the  .enemy’s  camp.  Instead  of  letting  them  put  questions 
to  him,  he  asked  them  question  after  question  concerning  Con¬ 
fucianism,  Buddhism,  and  Taoism.  They  were  questions  that 
sometimes  they  could  not  answer,  and  to  their  chagrin  they  had  to 
hear  4 4 the  barbarian”  answer  for  them.  There  were  other  ques¬ 
tions,  still  more  humiliating,  which,  when  they  answered,  only 
served  to  show  their  religion  as  false  and  degrading.  Their 
spokesman,  the  great  learned  man,  became  at  last  so  entangled 
that  there  was  nothing  for  him  but  flight.  He  arose  and  stalked 
angrily  away,  and  in  a  little  while  they  all  left.  Mackay  looked 
wistfully  at  young  Giam  as  he  went  out,  wondering  what  effect 
these  words  had  upon  him. 

He  was  not  left  long  in  doubt.  Not  half  an  hour  after  a 
shadow  fell  across  the  open  Bible  the  missionary  was  studying. 
He  glanced  up.  There  he  stood !  His  bright  face  was  very  seri¬ 
ous.  He  looked  gravely  at  the  other  young  man,  and  his  eyes 
shone  as  he  spoke. 

“I  brought  all  those  graduates  and  teachers  here,”  he  con¬ 
fessed,  4  4  to  silence  you  or  be  silenced.  And  now  I  am  convinced 
that  the  doctrines  you  teach  are  true.  I  am  determined  to  become 
a  Christian,  even  though  I  suffer  death  for  it.” 

Mackay  rose  from  his  seat,  his  face  alight  with  an  over¬ 
whelming  joy.  The  man  he  had  prayed  for !  He  took  the  young 
fellow’s  hand — speechless.  And  together  the  only  missionary  of 
north  Formosa  and  his  first  convert  fell  upon  their  knees  before 
the  true  God  and  poured  out  their  hearts  in  joy  and  thanksgiving. 

Witnessing  for  Jesus  Christ ,  (Pp.  94-08.) 

But  the  next  morning,  young  soldier  A  Hoa  had  a  fiercer 
battle  to  fight  than  any  with  robbers  or  storms.  As  soon  as  the 
city  was  astir,  Mackay  and  he  went  out  to  find  a  good  place  to 
preach.  They  passed  down  the  main  thoroughfare,  and  every¬ 
where  they  attracted  attention.  Cries  of  4  4  Ugly  barbarian !  ’  ’  and 
oftenest  “Black  bearded  barbarian”  were  heard  on  all  sides. 
A  Hoa  was  known  in  Kelung  and  contempt  and  ridicule  were 
heaped  upon  him  by  his  old  college  acquaintances.  He  was  con¬ 
sorting  with  the  barbarian !  He  was  a  friend  of  this  foreigner ! 
They  poured  more  insults  upon  him  than  they  did  upon  the  bar¬ 
barian  himself.  Some  took  the  stranger  as  a  joke,  and  laughed 
and  made  funny  remarks  upon  his  appearance.  Here  and  there 


9 


an  old  woman,  peeping  through  the  doorway,  would  utter  a  loud 
cackling  laugh,  and  pointing  a  wizened  finger  at  the  missionary 
would  cry :  *  ‘  Eh,  eh,  look  at  him !  Tee  hee  !  He ’s  got  a  wash-basin 
on  for  a  hat !  ’  ’  A  Hoa  was  distressed  at  these  remarks,  but 
Mackay  was  highly  amused. 

“We’re  drawing  a  crowd,  anyway,”  he  remarked  cheerfully, 
“and  that’s  what  we  want.” 

Soon  they  came  to  an  open  square  in  front  of  a  heathen 
temple.  The  building  had  several  large  stone  steps  leading  up 
to  the  door.  Mackay  mounted  them  and  stood  facing  the  buzzing 
crowd,  with  A  Hoa  at  his  side.  They  started  a  hymn : 

All  people  that  on  earth  do  dwell 
Sing  to  the  Lord  with  cheerful  voice. 

The  open  square  in  front  of  them  began  to  fill  rapidly.  The 
people  jostled  each  other  in  their  endeavors  to  get  a  view  of  the 
barbarian.  Every  one  was  curious,  but  every  one  was  angry 
and  indignant,  so  sometimes  the  sound  of  the  singing  was  lost  in 
the  shouts  of  derision. 

When  the  hymn  was  finished,  Mackay  had  a  sudden  inspira¬ 
tion.  “They  will  surely  listen  to  one  of  their  own  people,”  he 
said  to  himself,  and  turned  to  A  Hoa. 

‘  ‘  Speak  to  them,  ’  ’  he  said.  ‘  ‘  Tell  them  about  the  true  God.  ’  ’ 

That  was  a  hard  moment  for  the  young  convert.  He  had 
been  a  Christian  only  a  few  months  and  had  never  yet  spoken 
in  public  for  Christ.  He  looked  desperately  over  the  sea  of 
mocking  faces  beneath  him.  He  opened  his  mouth,  as  though  to 
speak,  and  hesitated.  Just  then  came  a  rough  and  bitter  taunt 
from  one  of  his  old  companions.  It  was  too  much.  A  Hoa  turned 
away  and  hung  his  head. 

The  young  missionary  said  nothing.  But  he  did  the  very 
wisest  thing  he  could  have  done.  He  had  some  time  before  taught 
A  Hoa  a  grand  old  Scottish  paraphrase,  and  they  had  often  sung 
it  together : 

I’m  not  ashamed  to  own  my  Lord 
Or  to  defend  his  cause, 

Maintain  the  glory  of  his  cross 
And  honor  all  his  laws. 

Mackay ’s  voice  loud  and  clear,  burst  into  this  fine  old  hymn. 
A  Hoa  raised  his  head.  He  joined  in  the  hymn  and  sang  it  to  the 
end.  It  put  mettle  into  him.  It  was  the  battle-song  that  brought 
back  the  young  recruit’s  courage.  Almost  before  the  last  note 
sounded  he  began  to  speak.  His  voice  rang  out  bold  and  un¬ 
afraid  over  the  crowd  of  angry  heathen. 


10 


"I  am  a  Christian!”  he  said  distinctly.  ".I  worship  the  true 
God.  I  cannot  worship  idols,  7 7  with  a  gesture  toward  the  temple 
door,  that  rats  can  destroy.  I  am  not  afraid.  I  love  Jesus. 
He  is  my  Savior  and  Friend.” 

No,  A  Hoa  was  not  “ashamed”  any  more.  His  testing  time 
had  come,  and  he  had  not  failed  after  all.  And  his  brave,  true 
words  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  through  the  more  seasoned  soldier  at 
his  side. 

Baptism  of  His  First  Converts.  ( Pp .  116-117.) 

And  there  were  many  reasons  for  being  happy  after  all.  On 
the  second  Sabbath  of  February,  1873,  just  one  year  after  his 
arrival  in  Tamsui,  the  missionary  announced,  at  the  close  of  one 
of  his  Sabbath  services,  that  he  would  receive  a  number  into  the 
Christian  church.  There  was  instantly  a  commotion  among  the 
heathen  who  were  in  the  house,  and  yells  and  jeers  from  those 
crowding  about  the  door  outside. 

“  We  ’ll  stop  him, 7  7  they  shouted.  ‘  ‘  Let  us  beat  the  converts, 7  7 
was  another  cry. 

But  Mackay  went  quietly  on  with  the  beautiful  ceremony 
in  spite  of  the  disturbance.  Five  young  men,  with  A  Hoa  at 
their  head,  came  and  were  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Father, 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Spirit. 

When  the  next  Sabbath  came  these  five  with  their  missionary 
sat  down  for  the  first  time  to  partake  of  the  Lord’s  Supper.  It 
was  a  very  impressive  ceremony.  One  young  fellow  broke  down, 
declaring  he  was  not  worthy.  Mackay  took  him  alone  into  his 
little  room  and  they  prayed  together,  and  the  young  man  came 
out  to  the  Lord’s  Supper  comforted,  knowing  that  all  might  be 
worthy  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Spring  came  at  last,  bright  and  clear,  and  Mackay  announced 
to  A  Hoa  that  they  must  go  up  the  river  and  visit  their  friends 
at  Go-ko-khi.  The  two  did  not  go  alone  this  time.  Three  other 
young  men  who  wanted  to  be  missionaries  were  now  spending 
their  days  with  their  teacher,  learning  with  A  Hoa  how  to  preach 
the  gospel.  So  it  was  quite  a  little  band  of  disciples  that  walked 
along  the  river  bank  up  to  Go-koddii.  Mackay  preached  at  all 
the  villages  along  the  route,  and  visited  the  homes  of  Christians. 

Encounters  with  Snakes.  ( Pp .  88,  127-128 ,  204-205.) 

One  oppressive  day  he  and  A  Hoa  returned  from  a  preaching 
tour  in  the  country  to  find  their  home  in  a  state  of  siege.  Right 


11 


across  the  threshold  lay  a  monster  serpent,  eight  feet  in  length. 
A  Hoa  shouted  a  warning,  and  seized  a  long  pole,  and  the  two 
managed  to  kill  it.  But  their  troubles  were  not  yet  over.  The 
next  morning,  Mackay  stepped  outside  the  door  and  sprang  back 
just  in  time  to  escape  another,  the  mate  of  the  one  killed.  This 
was  even  larger  than  the  first,  and  was  very  fierce.  But  they 
finished  it  with  sticks  and  stones.  .  .  . 

The  natives  had  warned  the  two  strangers  to  be  on  the  look¬ 
out  for  poisonous  snakes,  and  Mackay ’s  year  in  Formosa  had 
taught  him  to  be  wary.  But  he  had  forgotten  all  danger  in  the 
toilsome  climb.  He  was  soon  reminded  of  it.  They  were  passing 
up  a  slope  covered  with  long  dense  grass  when  a  rustling  at  his 
side  made  the  young  missionary  pause.  The  next  moment  a  huge 
cobra  sprang  out  from  a  clump  of  grass  and  struck  at  him.  Mac¬ 
kay  sprang  aside  just  in  time  to  escape  its  deadly  fangs.  The 
guides  rushed  up  with  their  spears  only  to  see  its  horribly  scaly 
length  disappear  in  the  long  grass. 

That  was  not  the  only  escape  of  the  young  adventurer,  for 
there  were  wild  animals  as  well  as  poisonous  snakes  along  the 
line  of  march,  and  the  man  in  the  front  was  always  in  danger. 
But  at  the  front  Mackay  must  be  in  spite  of  all  warning.  Nobody 
moved  fast  enough  for  him . 

There  was  a  little  kitchen  separate  from  the  house  on  the 
bluff,  and  over  this  Mackay  with  his  students  built  a  second 
story.  And  here  they  would  often  slip  away  for  a  little  quiet 
time  together.  One  night,  about  11  o’clock,  Mackay  was  here 
alone  poring  over  his  books.  The  young  men  had  gone  home 
to  bed  except  two  or  three  who  were  in  the  kitchen  below.  Some 
papers  had  been  dropped  over  a  pipe-hole  in  the  floor  of  the 
room  where  Mackay  was  studying,  and  for  some  time  he  had 
been  disturbed  by  a  rustling  among  them.  At  last  without  look¬ 
ing  up,  he  called  to  his  boys  below :  “I  think  there  are  rats  up 
here  among  my  papers !  ’  ’ 

Koa  Kau,  one  of  the  younger  of  the  students,  ran  lightly  up 
the  stairs  to  give  battle  to  the  intruders.  What  was  his  horror 
when  he  saw  fully  three  feet  of  a  monster  serpent  sticking  up 
through  the  pipe-hole  and  waving  its  horrible  head  in  the  air  just 
a  little  distance  from  Kai  Bok-su’s  (G.  E.  Mackay)  chair. 

The  boy  gave  a  shout,  darted  down  the  stair,  and  with  a 
sharp  stick,  pinned  the  body  of  the  snake  to  the  wall  below.  The 
creature  became  terribly  violent,  but  Koa  Kau  held  on  valiantly 
and  Mackay  seized  an  old  Chinese  spear  that  happened  to  be  in 
the  room  above  and  pierced  the  serpent  through  the  head.  They 
pulled  its  dead  body  down  into  the  kitchen  below  and  spread  it 
out.  It  measured  nine  feet.  The  students  would  not  rest  until 


12 


it  was  buried,  and  the  remembrance  of  the  horrible  creature’s 
visit  for  some  time  spoiled  the  charm  of  the  little  upper  room. 

Building  the  First  Chapel.  (Pp.  149-151 ,  151-152.) 

One -day,  after  they  had  preached  in  the  empty  granary  and 
the  rain  had  come  in,  Mr.  Tan,  the  headman,  walked  up  the 
village  street  with  them,  and  he  made  them  an  offer.  They  might 
have  the  plot  of  ground  opposite  his  house  for  a  chapel-site. 
This  was  grand  news  A  chapel  in  north  Formosa !  Mackay  could 
hardly  believe  it,  but  it  seemed  that  there  really  was  to  be  one. 
There  were  many  Christians  in  Go-ko-khi  now,  and  each  one  was 
ready  for  work.  Some  collected  stones,  others  prepared  sun-dried 
bricks,  others  dug  the  foundation,  and  the  first  church  in  north 
Formosa  was  commenced. 

Now  Go-ko-khi  was,  unfortunately,  near  the  great  city  of 
Bang-kah.  This  was  the  most  hostile  and  wicked  place  in  all 
that  country,  and  A  Hoa  and  Mackay  had  been  stoned  out  of 
it  on  their  visit  there.  The  people  in  Bang-kah  learned  of  the 
new  church  building,  and  one  day,  when  the  brick  walls  were 
about  three  feet  high,  there  arose  a  tramp  of  feet,  beating  of 
drums,  and  loud  shouts,  and  up  marched  a  detachment  of  sol¬ 
diers  sent  with  orders  from  the  prefect  of  Bang-kah  to  stop  the 
building  of  the  chapel.  Their  officers  went  straight  to  the  house 
of  the  headman  with  his  commands.  Mr.  Tan  was  six  feet  two 
and  he  rose  to  his  full  height  and  towered  above  his  visitor  majes¬ 
tically.  The  “ mayor”  of  Go-ko-khi  was  a  Christian  now,  and 
on  the  wall  of  his  house  was  pasted  a  large  sheet  of  paper  with 
the  ten  commandments  printed  on  it.  He  pointed  to  this  and 
said :  “I  am  determined  to  abide  by  these. ’ ’  The  officer  was 
taken  aback.  He  was  scarcely  prepared  to  defy  the  headman, 
and  he  went  away  to  stir  up  the  villagers.  But  everywhere  the 
soldiers  met  with  opposition.  There  seemed  no  one  who  would 
take  their  part.  The  officer  knew  he  and  his  men  were  scarcely 
within  their  rights  in  what  they  were  doing ;  so,  fearing  trouble, 
he  marched  back  to  the  city,  reporting  there  that  the  black- 
bearded  barbarian  had  bewitched  the  villagers  with  some  magic 
art.  .  .  . 

So,  in  spite  of  all  opposition,  the  little  church  rose  steadily 
up  and  up  until  it  was  crowned  with  a  tiled  roof  and  was  ready 
for  the  worshipers. 

That  was  a  great  day  for  north  Formosa  and  its  young  mis¬ 
sionary,  the  day  the  first  church  was  opened  The  place  was 
packed  to  the  doors,  and  many  stood  outside  listening  at  the 
windows.  And  of  that  crowd  one  hundred  and  fifty  arose  and 


13 


declared  that  from  henceforth  they  would  cast  away  their  idols 
and  worship  only  the  one  and  true  God.  Standing  up  there  in 
his  first  pulpit  and  looking  down  upon  the  crowd  of  upturned 
faces,  and  seeing  the  new  light  in  them  which  the  blessed  good 
news  of  Jesus  and  his  love  had  brought,  Kai  Bok-su’s  heart 
swelled  with  joy. 

Gaining  a  Foothold  in  Bang-Kah.  (Pp.  169-171,  172- 
174.) 

As  soon  as  morning  came,  the  little  army  in  the  midst  of  the 
hostile  camp  hoisted  its  banner.  When  the  citizens  of  Bang-kah 
awoke,  they  found  on  the  door  of  the  hut  the  hated  sign,  in  large 
Chinese  characters,  “  Jesus’  Temple.” 

In  less  than  an  hour,  the  street  in  front  of  it  was  thronged 
with  a  shouting  crowd.  Before  the  day  was  past,  the  news  spread 
and  the  whole  city  was  in  an  uproar.  By  the  next  afternoon 
the  excitement  had  reached  white  heat,  and  a  wild  crowd  of  men 
came  roaring  down  the  street.  They  hurled  themselves  at  the 
little  house  where  the  missionaries  were  waiting  and  literally  tore 
it  to  splinters.  The  screams  of  rage  and  triumph  were  so  hor¬ 
rible  that  they  reminded  Mackay  of  the  savage  yells  of  the  head¬ 
hunters. 

When  the  mob  leaped  upon  the  roof  and  tore  it  oft,  the  two 
hunted  men  slipped  out  through  a  side  door,  and  across  the  street 
into  an  inn.  The  crowd  instantly  attacked  it,  smashing  doors, 
ripping  the  tiles  off  the  roof,  and  uttering  such  bloodthirsty  howls 
that  they  resembled  wild  beasts  far  more  than  human  beings. 
The  landlord  ordered  the  missionaries  out  to  where  the  mob  was 
waiting  to  tear  them  limb  from  limb. 

It  was  an  awful  moment.  To  go  out  was  instant  death,  to 
remain  merely  put  off  the  end  a  few  moments.  Mackay,  knowing 
his  source  of  help,  sent  up  a  desperate  prayer  to  his  Father  in 
heaven. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  strange  lull  in  the  street  outside.  The 
yells  ceased,  the  crashing  of  tiles  stopped.  The  door  opened, 
and  there  in  his  sedan-chair  of  state  surrounded  by  his  body¬ 
guard,  appeared  the  Chinese  mandarin.  And  just  behind  him — 
blessed  sight  to  the  eyes  of  Kai  Bok-su  (Mackay) — Mr.  Scott,  the 
British  consul  of  Tamsui !  .  .  . 

The  mandarin  went  away  enraged  and  baffled.  He  could  not 
persuade  the  man  to  go ;  he  dared  not  drive  him  out.  He  left  a 
squad  of  soldiers  to  guard  the  place,  however,  remembering  the 
British  consul’s  warning. 


14 


In  a  few  days  the  excitement  subsided.  People  became  accus¬ 
tomed  to  seeing  the  barbarian  teacher  and  his  companion  go 
about  the  streets.  Many  were  relieved  of  much  pain  by  him, 
too,  and  a.  large  number  listened  with  some  interest  to  the  new 
doctrine  he  taught  concerning  one  God. 

He  had  been  there  a  week  when  some  prominent  citizens  came 
to  him  with  a  polite  offer.  They  would  give  him  free  a  piece 
of  ground  outside  the  city  on  which  to  build  a  church.  Kai 
Bok-su’s  flashing  black  eyes  at  once  saw  the  bribe.  They  wanted 
to  coax  him  out  when  they  could  not  drive  him.  He  refused 
politely  but  firmly. 

“I  own  that  propertjr, ”  he  declared,  pointing  to  the  heap  of 
ruins  into  which  his  house  had  been  turned,  “and  there  I  will 
build  a  church.” 

They  did  everything  in  their  power  to  prevent  him,  but  one 
day,  many  months  after,  right  on  the  site  where  they  had  literally 
torn  the  roof  from  above  him,  arose  a  pretty  little  stone  church, 
and  that  was  the  beginning  of  great  things  in  Bang-kah. 

And  so  Gibraltar  was  taken — taken  by  an  army  of  two — a 
Canadian  missionary  and  a  Chinese  soldier  of  the  King,  for 
behind  them  stood  all  the  army  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  and  He 
led  them  to  victory ! 

En  du  rin  g  Per  seen  tion .  (pp-  233-235.) 

At  Sin-tiam  the  crowd  of  ruffians  smashed  the  door  and  win¬ 
dows  of  the  church.  Then  they  took  the  communion  roll  and 
read  aloud  the  names  of  the  Christians  who  had  been  baptized. 
As  each  name  was  announced,  some  of  the  murderers  would  rush 
off  toward  the  home  of  the  one  mentioned.  Here  they  would  tor¬ 
ture  and  often  kill  the  members  of  the  family.  The  native 
preacher  and  his  family  barely  escaped  with  their  lives.  One 
good  old  Christian  man  with  his  wife,  both  over  sixty,  were 
dragged  out  into  the  deep  water  of  the  Sin-tiam  river.  Here 
they  were  given  a  choice.  If  they  gave  up  Jesus  Christ,  their 
lives  would  be  saved.  If  they  still  remained  Christians,  they 
would  be  drowned  right  there  and  then.  The  brave  old  couple 
refused  to  accept  life  at  such  a  cost. 

“I’m  not'  ashamed  to  own  my  Lord,”  was  a  hymn  Kai  Bok-su 
had  taught  them,  and  they  had  meant  every  word  as  they  had 
sung  it  many  times  in  the  pretty  chapel  by  the  river.  And  so 
they  were  “not  ashamed”  now.  They  were  led  deeper  and 
deeper  into  the  water,  and  at  every  few  feet  the  way  of  escape 
was  offered,  but  they  steadily  refused,  and  were  at  last  flung 
into  the  river — faithful  martyrs  who  certainly  won  a  crown  of 
life. 


15 


These  were  only  two  among  many  brave  Christians  who  died 
for  their  Master’s  sake.  Some  were  put  to  tortures  too  horrible 
to  tell  to  make  them  give  up  their  faith.  Some  were  hung  by 
their  hair  to  trees,  some  were  kicked  or  beaten  to  death,  many 
were  slashed  with  knives  until  death  relieved  their  pain.  And 
on  every  side  the  most  noble  Christian  heroism  was  shown.  In 
all  ages  there  have  been  those  who  died  for  their  faith  in  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  these  Formosan  followers  of  their  Master  proved 
themselves  no  less  faithful  than  the  martyrs  of  old. 

An  Entire  Village  Accepts  Christ.  (Pp.  268-272.) 

Darkness  had  almost  descended  when  he  rode  into  the  village 
(in  the  Ki-Lai  Plain)  and  stopped  before  a  small  grass-covered 
bamboo  dwelling  where  the  cook-preacher  lived.  For  years  the 
people  here  had  looked  for  Kai  Bok-su ’s  coming,  for  years  they 
had  talked  of  this  great  event,  and  for  years  their  preacher  had 
been  writing  and  saying  as  he  received  his  reply  from  the  eager 
missionary  in  Tamsui,  “He  may  come  soon.” 

And  now  he  was  really  here!  The  sound  of  his  horse’s  bells 
had  scarcely  stopped  before  the  preacher’s  house,  when  the 
news  began  to  spread  like  fire  through  the  village.  The  preacher, 
who  had  worked  so  hard  and  waited  so  long,  wept  for  joy,  and 
before  he  could  make  Dr.  Mackay  welcome  in  a  proper  manner 
the  room  was  filled  with  men,  all  wildly  eager  for  a  sight  of  the 
great  Kai  Bok-su,  while  outside  a  crowd  gathered  about  the  door 
striving  to  get  even  a  glimpse  of  him.  The  ex-cook  of  Oxford 
College  had  preached  so  faithfully  that  many  were  already  con¬ 
verted  to  Christianity,  many  more  knew  a  good  deal  of  the 
gospel,  and  crowds  were  ready  to  throw  away  their  idols.  They 
were  weary  of  their  heathen  rites  and  superstitions.  They  were 
longing  for  something  better,  they  scarcely  knew  what. 

“But  the  mandarin  will  not  let  them  become  Christians,” 
said  the  preacher  anxiously.  “It  is  he  who  is  keeping  them 
from  decision.  He  has  said  that  they  must  continue  in  idolatry, 
as  a  token  of  loyalty  to  China.  ’  ’ 

“Are  you  sure  that  is  true?”  cried  Dr.  Mackay. 

The  converts  nodded.  They  had  “heard”  it  was  said  at  least. 

But  Kai  Bok-su  was  not  the  man  to  accept  mere  hearsay.  He 
was  always  wisely  careful  to  avoid  any  collision  with  the  authori¬ 
ties.  But  remembering  the  kindness  shown  him  back  in  Iloe-lien- 
kang,  he  could  not  quite  believe  that  the  mandarin  who  had  been 
so  kind  to  him  could  be  hostile  to  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 


16 


To  think  was  to  act,  and  early  the  next  morning,  he  was  riding 
back  to  the  seacoast,  to  inquire  how  much  of  this  rumor  was  true. 

His  reception  was  very  warm.  It  was  all  right,  the  officers 
declared.  Whatever  had  been  said  or  done  in  the  past  must  be 
forgotten.  Kai-Bok-su  might  go  where  he  pleased  and  preach  his 
Jehovah-religion  to  whomsoever  he  would. 

It  was  a  very  light-hearted  rider  the  pony  carried  as  he  gal¬ 
loped  back  along  the  narrow  paths,  with  the  good  news  for  the 
villagers.  The  word  went  round  as  soon  as  he  arrived.  Kai 
Bok-su  wanted  to  know  how  many  were  for  the  true  God.  All 
who  would  worship  Him  were  at  once  to  clear  their  houses  of 
idols  and  declare  that  they  would  serve  Jehovah  and  Him  only. 
At  dark  a  great  crowd  gathered  in  an  open  space  in  the  village. 
Representatives  from  five  villages  were  there,  chiefs  were  shout¬ 
ing  to  their  people,  and  when  Dr.  Mackay  and  his  students 
arrived,  the  place  was  all  noise  and  confusion.  He  was  puzzled. 
It  almost  looked  as  if  there  was  to  be  a  riot,  though  the  voices 
did  not  sound  angry. 

He  climbed  up  on  a  pile  of  rubbish  and  his  face  shone  clear 
in  the  light  of  the  flaring  torches.  His  voice  rang  out  loud  and 
commanding  above  the  tumult. 

“What  is  this  noise  about?77  he  cried.  “Is  there  a  difference 
of  opinion  among  you  as  to  whether  you  shall  worship  these  poor 
toys  of  wood  and  stone,  or  the  true  God  who  is  your  Father?77 

He  paused  and  as  if  from  one  man  came  back  the  answer  in 
a  mighty  shout : 

“No,  we  will  worship  the  true  God!77 

The  tumult  had  been  one  of  enthusiasm  and  not  of  dispute ! 

Called  from  His  Labors.  ( Pp .  293-206.) 

A  few  happy  years  sped  round.  The  time  for  him  to  go 
back  home  again  was  drawing  near,  when  there  came  the  first 
hint  that  he  might  soon  be  called  on  a  longer  furlough  than  he 
would  have  in  Canada. 

At  first,  when  the  dread  suspicion  began  to  be  whispered  in 
the  halls  of  Oxford  College  and  in  the  chapel  gatherings  through¬ 
out  the  country,  people  refused  to  believe  it.  Kai  Bok-su  ill  ? 
No,  no,  it  was  only  the  malaria,  and  he  always  arose  from  that 
and  went  about  again.  It  could  not  be  serious. 

But  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  loving  hearts  refused  to  accept 
it,  there  was  no  use  denying  the  sad  fact.  There  was  something 
wrong  with  Kai  Bok-su.  For  months  his  voice  had  been  growing 

17 


weaker,  the  doctors  had  examined  his  throat,  and  attended  him, 
but  it  was  all  of  no  use.  At  last  he  could  not  speak  at  all,  but 
wrote  his  words  on  a  slate. 

And  everywhere  in  north  Formosa,  converts  and  students  and 
preachers  watched  and  waited  and  prayed  most  fervently  that  he 
might  soon  recover.  Those  who  lived  in  Tamsui  whispered  to 
each  other  in  tones  of  dread,  as  they  watched  him  come  and  go 
with  slower  steps  than  they  had  been  accustomed  to  see. 

“He  will  be  well  next  month, ’’  they  would  say  hopefully,  or, 
“He  will  look  like  himself  when  the  rains  dry.”  But  little  by 
little  the  conviction  grew  that  the  beloved  missionary  was  seri¬ 
ously  ill,  and  a  great  gloom  settled  all  over  north  Formosa. 
There  was  a  little  gleam  of  joy  when  the  doctor  in  Tamsui  ad¬ 
vised  him  finally  to  go  to  Hongkong  and  see  a  specialist.  He 
went,  leaving  many  loving  hearts  waiting  anxiously  between  hope 
and  fear  to  hear  what  the  doctors  would  say.  And  prayers  went 
up  night  and  day  from  those  who  loved  him.  From  the  heart¬ 
broken  wife  in  the  lonely  house  on  the  bluff  to  the  farthest-off 
convert  on  the  Ki-lai  Plain,  every  Christian  on  the  island,  even 
those  in  the  south  Formosa  mission,  prayed  that  the  useful  life 
might  be  spared. 

But  God  had  other  and  greater  plans  for  Kai  Bok-su.  He 
came  back  from  Hongkong,  and  the  first  look  at  his  pale  face 
told  the  dreaded  truth.  The  shadow  of  death  lay  on  it. 

Those  were  heart-breaking  days  in  north  Formosa.  From  all 
sides  came  such  messages  of  devotion  that  it  seemed  as  if  the 
passionate  love  of  his  followers  must  hold  him  back.  But  a 
stronger  love  was  calling  him  on.  And  one  bright  June  day,  in 
1901,  when  the  green  mountainsides,  the  blue  rivers,  and  the 
waving  rice-fields  of  Formosa  lay  smiling  in  the  sun,  Kai  Bok-su 
heard  once  more  that  call  that  had  brought  him  so  far  from  home. 
Once  more  he  obeyed,  and  he  opened  his  eyes  on  a  new  glory 
greater  than  any  of  which  he  had  ever  dreamed.  The  task  had 
been  a  hard  one.  The  “big  stone”  had  been  stubborn,  but  it 
had  been  broken,  and  not  long  after  the  noontide  of  his  life  the 
tired  worker  was  called  home. 

A  Developing  Work.  ( Pp .  297-298,  299-300.) 

But  is  it  well  with  the  work?  What  of  his  Beautiful  Island, 
now  that  Kai  Bok-su  -has  left  for  a  greater  work  in  a  more 
beautiful  land?  Yes,  it  is  well  also  with  Formosa.  The  work 
goes  on. 

There  are  two  thousand,  one  hundred  members  now  in  the 
four  organized  congregations,  and  over  fifty  mission  stations 


18 


and  ontstations.  But  better  still  there  are  in  addition  twenty-two 
hundred  who  have  forsaken  their  idols  and  are  being  trained 
to  become  church-members.  The  Formosa  Church  out  of  its 
poverty  gives  liberally,  too.  In  1911  they  contributed  more  than 
thirty -five  hundred  dollars  to  Christian  work.  ‘ ‘ Every  year,” 
writes  Mr.  Jack,  “a  special  collection  is  taken  by  the  Church 
for  the  work  among  the  Ami — the  aborigines  of  the  Ki-lai  Plain.  ’ 7 
This  is  the  foreign  mission  of  the  north  Formosa  Church  .... 

Mrs.  Mackay  and  her  two  daughters,  Helen  and  Mary,  the 
latter  having  married  native  preachers,  Koa  Kau  and  Tan  He, 
are  keeping  up  the  work  that,  husband  and  father  left.  A  new 
hospital  is  being  built  under  Dr.  Ferguson,  and  plans  are  on  foot 
for  new  school  and  college  buildings. 

And  the  latest  arrived  missionary?  What  of  him?  Why  his 
name  is  George  Mackay,  and  he  has  just  sailed  from  Canada  as 
the  first  Mackay  sailed  forty-one  years  earlier.  He  has  been  nine 
years  in  Canada  and  the  United  States,  at  school  and  college,  and 
now  with  his  Canadian  wife,  has  gone  back  to  his  native  land. 
Yes,  Ivai  Bok-su’s  son  has  gone  out  to  carry  on  his  father’s  work, 
and  Formosa  has  welcomed  him  as  no  other  missionary  has  been 
welcomed  since  Kai  Bok-su’s  day. 

But  these  are  not  all.  From  far  across  the  sea,  in  the  land 
where  Kai  Bok-su  lived  his  boyhood  days,  comes  a  voice.  It  is 
the  echo  from  the  hearts  of  other  boys,  who  have  read  his  noble 
life.  And  their  answer  is,  "We  too  will  go  out,  as  he  went,  and 
fight  and  win !  ” 


19 


SERIES  OF  PROGRAMS  NOW  AVAILABLE 

Course  Number  One 

JAMES  CHALMERS,  Martyr  of  New  Guinea 
JAMES  GILMOUR,  Pioneer  in  Mongolia 
WILFRED  T.  GRENFELL,  Knight-Errant  of  the  North 
ADONIRAM  JUDSON,  Herald  of  the  Cross  in  Burma 
ION  KEITH-FALCONER,  Defender  of  the  Faith  in  Arabia 
DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  Africa’s  Pathfinder  and  Emancipator 
ALEXANDER  M.  MACKAY,  Uganda’s  White  Man  of  Work 
HENRY  MARTYN,  Persia’s  Man  of  God 
ROBERT  MORRISON,  Protestant  Pioneer  in  China 
JOHN  G.  PATON,  King  of  the  Cannibals 
MARY  SLESSOR,  The  White  Queen  of  Calabar 
MARCUS  WHITMAN,  Hero  of  the  Oregon  Country 

Course  Number  Two 

CAPTAIN  LUKE  BICKEL,  Master  Mariner  of  the  Inland  Sea 

WILLIAM  CAREY,  Founder  of  Modern  Missions 

ALEXANDER  DUFF,  India’s  Educational  Pioneer 

MARY  PORTER  GAMEWELL,  Heroine  of  the  Boxer  Rebellion 

FRANK  HIGGINS,  Sky  Pilot  of  the  Lumbermen 

RAYMOND  LULL,  First  Missionary  to  the  Moslems 

GEORGE  L.  MACKAY,  Pioneer  Missionary  in  Formosa 

JOHN  K.  MACKENZIE,  The  Beloved  Physician  of  Tientsin 

ROBERT  MOFFAT,  Friend  of  the  African 

JOHN  COLERIDGE  PATTESON,  Martyr  Bishop  of  the  South 
Seas 

J.  HUDSON  TAYLOR,  Founder  of  the  China  Inland  Mission 
JOHN  WILLIAMS,  Shipbuilder  in  the  South  Seas. 

No.  313— M.E.I.— 1M— May,  1926  20 


